The mercury edged over 80 degrees yesterday, the second or third day of the heat wave. Anchorage residents moaned and sighed and even jumped into local lakes. For my great-nephews that meant Jewel Lake, whose waters are somewhere between 50 and 54 degrees.
By comparison, the water off Cape May, NJ, averages 73 degrees in July. No swimmer’s itch, either, although there might be jellyfish from time to time.
I grew up in a hot, humid place, and remember lying awake wishing that the box fan in the window would magically find cool air and send it my way. My jobs in that region – a commercial greenhouse, a bakery and a glass factory – were not terribly comfortable, either.
In hot-and-humid Oak Park, Ill., our place had two air conditioners: one in the bedroom and one to cool the rest of the apartment. The bedroom cooled off just fine when the door was closed. The other rooms were never really cool, though. They were just a little less hot.
When I lived in Seattle the temperatures went over 100 from time to time (and my south- and west-facing windows grabbed every available ray). I’ve spent time in Phoenix in the summer, and last year encountered both dehydration and, I believe, a touch of heat stroke. (Thank goodness for air conditioning, tile floors and that jug of iced tea.)
I’ve even been in Death Valley in the summer. On purpose. Even so, I have to admit that an Alaska “heat wave” is startlingly uncomfortable.
My rational mind will say, “Um, it’s really not that hot degrees. Put on shorts and you’ll be fine.” But my jerkbrain is sniveling and whining about how sticky I feel because I’m sweating, actually sweating, despite a strategic lack of exertion. Eeeewww, my bra elastic is clammy and my T-shirt is sticking to my back and why is it so hot in here?
Because Alaska homes are built to keep heat from escaping, not to let cold air in. No one I know has central air conditioning, or even a window unit. Some people don’t even have screens, which means that opening the windows means inviting in the mosquitoes – and it’s been a banner year for Alaska’s state bird.
The northern heat wave, explained
This is the point at which our relatives from Outside laugh hysterically and start throwing daytime highs and heat indexes our way. Seriously, 84 degrees? That’s COOL around here!
My daughter said (in a matter-of-fact way rather than a mean one) that it was already 100 degrees at 10 a.m. People in cities like Houston and New Orleans mention the debilitating effects of humidity.
But there’s actually a good reason why 80 degrees up here feels worse than 80 degrees in Miami. According to a report from local television station KTVA, that’s due to the “large input of solar radiation the high latitudes receive during the warm months and the low angle at which this energy is absorbed.”
Today the sun’s peak altitude – 52 degrees above the horizon – took place shortly after 2 p.m. In Miami the peak altitude was 90 degrees, which was almost directly overhead.
Bonus: The days are much longer here, which gives both bodies and buildings more time to absorb the sun and its warmth.
See? We’re not complete whiners. #science
And from a purely unscientific viewpoint? A truly hot day in Anchorage feels unnatural, somehow.
We hope for mild warmth, and some summers we don’t even get that. But starting in May we’ve had some week-long stretches of warm, sunny days that turn our homes into greenhouses and our greenhouses into saunas. All day long DF and I check the tomatoes and cukes to see if they need yet more water. They usually do.
Just as winter cold is relative, summer heat is, too.
The heat wave won’t last
Mind you, I’m loving all this sun. We had a cool and windy spring, which means our outdoor plants are behind schedule. Logically, I know I should also welcome the warmth because it will give those laggards a boost of BTUs. But after going on six years of re-entry into the Last Frontier, I find my heat tolerance has ebbed. Which stinks, given that my daughter lives down there in Satan’s Fry Daddy and the annual Financial Blogger Conference takes place in September – and invariably in a hot place.
(It’s in Orlando this year. Come see me!)
Right now I’m sitting in our library with the shades drawn and a ceiling fan revolving. At my elbow is a glass of iced tea, my third in the past three hours. Tonight I’ll place a pedestal fan at the foot of the bed and lie there in the breeze. Some time during the temperature will drop into the mid-50s and I’ll pull up the sheet and maybe the comforter. I always awaken covered up.
Soon, too soon, heat will be a thing of the past. I’ll be looking at the change in the angle of sunlight and wishing for just a little more warmth to tease ripeness from those last tomatoes. We’ll freeze raspberries and rhubarb, can carrots and beets, dig potatoes and cover up the strawberry beds.
But that will be then. This is now, and I wish it would rain.
Readers: Is there a heat wave in your region, and how do you handle it?
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Being from Michigan originally, I remember box fans placed strategically to catch cooler air at different points during the day and going from room to room closing and opening drapes to keep the sun out and to let the air flow. I also remember sleeping in the basement some nights. I used to laugh at my brother when he moved to Florida because he wore a jacket when the temp got to a chilly 60 degrees. I now live in Florida and have been here for 21 years. I wear a sweater in the house because the AC feels cold and can’t wait until it cools down to the low 80s (something I won’t see for another 4 or more months) so I can open the windows. I sit outside in the evening because the temp is a more comfortable 90ish. Our next home will be in the greater Phoenix area. I imagine I will acclimate to that climate just as I have to Florida. I agree though that the humidity can be miserable no matter the temperature. Whether it is the 80s in Alaska or the almost triple digits currently in Michigan, it’s been a hot one everywhere. Keep calm and ice tea on!
I live in AL, designated as a sub-tropical rainforest. Saturday it was 94 here with 81% humidity and heat index of 115F. I cannot imagine 80 being hot. My little 6000 btu ac cannot keep the place very cool. It is miserably hot and humid even this early–6 am. As a child in Jackson, MS, we put a sheet on the wood floors to take our naps. And we had fans blowing on us.
When the temp is 80F, some people wear a sweater here. I am just grateful. However, there are people who wear shorts all winter long. Sandals suit me just fine in winter, even in snow. I am loathe to wear shoes or socks.
I am in PA. The last two days the temp was 94. It is supposed to ONLY go to 90 today and then in the 80’s the rest of the week. Then they say it is supposed to start all over again. I am 66 now. Years ago, I could be out cutting grass at 90 degrees. Now, I can’t stand it and each year it gets worse. My is mostly difficulty breathing. I have that same sticky feeling with my bra and back-LOL! I took a bath last night and one again this morning, but the sweating just starts right back. Guess this is the wave of the future. Some people believe in the climate change, some don’t!
We were having that discussion yesterday: “How come I used to be able to handle working in the heat and now I can’t?” It’s pretty simple: We’re older now. When I was 14 I could ride my bike a couple of miles through high-90s heat and humidity, work in those greenhouses, ride home and still be able to play baseball after supper until it got too dark to see.
Now I want to be cooler — which is usually possible up here, as it’s a dry climate that usually doesn’t get too warm. But when I visit family, hoo boy do I drink the heck out of Powerade (which normally I don’t even like) and iced tea.
Thanks for reading, and for leaving a comment.
Here on the SUNCOAST of Florida – its rare to see the mercury dip below 80 prior to December! And the humidity right now is stifling as we approach our hottest months (Aug-Sept). I’m okay when doing indoor activities as A/C is standard around here – but as a runner / cyclist – I’m outdoors a lot – normally before the sun comes up so I’m done with my exercise before 10am! I always have a water bottle with me, even when running errands, it’s important to stay hydrated!
Good luck with the Orlando temps – I find it’s always about 5 degrees warner there as it’s “landlocked”…at least we have a gulf breeze, albeit a warm one, over here!
My dad and stepmom might be down there for the winter by then. If so, I’ll likely rent a car and drive over. We could get cold drinks at Dunkin Donuts and talk about money some more!
I live in southern Massachusetts, right near the Rhode Island border and it’s been in the upper 90’s for almost a week. It’s the humidity that gets me and while our condo has central air, the ac in my husband’s car is on the fritz so driving in that isn’t fun if there’s no breeze when the windows are down. I’ve been drinking a lot of water and eating lighter meals if possible, which helps 🙂 Hope you’re enjoying your summer in Alaska.
The other day I was remembering how it felt when I worked in Philly and lived in New Jersey, with no air conditioning in my car. I’d pick up my daughter from the child care center and we’d inch through traffic to merge onto the Ben Franklin Bridge: hazy, hot, humid, blech. My poor toddler must have been so uncomfortable, but she never complained. Then again, she was in shorts and a tank top and I was in slacks and a shirt. Whew.
Occasionally a water ice vendor would appear along the way and if the traffic was good and stuck I’d call him over to order a cup of lemon ice. Cherry was my favorite, but it stained like crazy and I didn’t want it in the car. We’d share the water ice and for a little while would feel cooler.
We just got back from Aruba, where it was 10 degrees cooler than in New Jersey, and there’s always a good breeze blowing from the trade winds. Being a desert island, they only use ac at night in the bedrooms because they have to import all their energy (and a lot of their food). I was sunburned, bug bitten, and sticky from sweat and sunscreen all week. (Whine!!) So much for a tropical paradise.
What I dislike most about sunscreen: When it ends up in your eyes after your face gets sweaty. Ow.
Makes you realize why the wealthy used to summer in the mountains.
Colorado has had its share of heat, too. (I live along the ‘urban corridor,’ between Denver and Colorado Springs.) We’ve stayed in low to mid-90s…very little rain, and when we do, it’s often mixed with hail. LOTS of fires, many down south — and thanks to the hot winds we often get this time of year, they’ve not been contained much, either.
Hot and dry. Hot and dry. The latter is a pleasure, for someone who grew up in Michigan, where the humidity wraps itself like a blanket around you. I used to lie in bed wishing for a breeze. We’d sleep out on the concrete front porch, watching the fireflies. Not many fireflies here, but we do get mosquitoes.
I lived in a big drafty farm house. In summertime the wasps used to crawl under the bedcovers, looking for cool places…so you had to remember to shake out your covers before you crawled in. Here in Colorado, they hide under the umbrella…just before you put it up!
No fireworks this year, in our part of Colorado (Castle Rock) — the fine was $750. Though I noticed that didn’t stop our neighbor from shooting off some late last night, under cover of darkness…
Our neighbors were setting off fireworks on July 3 and July 4. It’s mostly for the noise, because it’s too darned light to see any colors.
It’s summertime in Arkansas, so there’s always a heat wave. Then there are BAD heat waves. ;o)
Last month, the a/c in part of the BBQ restaurant where I work was not really doing it’s job. The dining rooms were comfortable, but the kitchen/customer service area was unbearable and this was before summer had started. Management made it crystal clear that they didn’t give a d@mn about the situation. Then a co-worker threatened to tell the wife of one of the bosses what was going on. The next day, the a/c was working fine. And the health dept. told ’em to put wall fans in some areas. I truly appreciated the fan in customer service on the 3rd/4th because we got slammed. Everybody and their brother ate/ordered takeout at our place. I’m really looking forward to seeing that holiday pay!
People looking for relief from the heat in countries like France, Spain and Italy grappled for just the right name for the phenomenon — and settled on “Lucifer.”The waves of heat sent temperatures soaring to record highs for several days, caused at least two deaths, kindled wildfires and drove tempers through the roof.
Eternal summer here in Barbados, but cooler October through March with climate change.75 degrees right now at 5 am. It will likely warm up to 85. Yup life is good.My sister in New York hates that she is not home. I’m also reaping all the goodies from my garden. No fans or AC here, yup life is good😊🌞
Your life sounds pretty good to me, too.
No AC here in Western WA, just lovely shade trees that keep us delightfully cool until the temp cracks 85-90. So we do the fairly traditional method of opening up all the windows & turning on the boxfans as soon as it hits evening and then shutting the house up once it starts warming up in the morning. The only unusual tactic I use is crepuscular chores; any tasks that involve heat or humidity (ie washing dishes, washing/drying laundry, baking bread, showers, vacuuming, etc) are performed during early morning or late evening hours while the windows are open. It means I have to do a burst of activity right when I’d rather be lazy before bedtime – but I love these long relaxing summer afternoons!
This would put a wrench in my attempts to declutter and ho minimal, but I’m a sucker for contests!
This would put a wrench in my attempts to declutter and go minimal, but I’m a sucker for contests!